"Oliyan (Lou Shi's childhood name, original name) heard that the Emperor was about to die, so he came all the way from Shanxi, wanting to see the Emperor one last time... He's late, and he fears he will never see him again in this life." Wanyan Lou Shi, in full armor, holding Emperor Wuqimai's hand, said these words, immediately causing a stir in the hall.

After all, these words were too suggestive.

Some of the younger 'Princes' thought this was Nianhan pushing his advantage too far. Was introducing Wanyan Yinshuke and Wanyan Xiyin (Wanyan Gushen) into the central government not enough? Did he actually want to learn from the Southerners and stage some kind of 'military remonstrance'?

However, neither Nianhan nor Wuqimai, including the eldest prince Wanyan Wuben, the right deputy commander of the Grand Commander's Office Wanyan Talan, and the current rising star in the central government, the Yanjing garrison commander Wanyan Yinshuke, nor Wanyan Xiyin (Gushen), who was promoting official system reforms to become Prime Minister, none of these slightly older powerful figures had such thoughts.

Because they knew that, unlike the others present, this suddenly arrived man would not actively meddle in such matters. His coming here must be for official business.

Therefore, the commotion in the hall was almost instantly suppressed by the gazes of the older figures.

Emperor Wanyan Wuqimai, embarrassed and unsure of the other's intentions, could only feign ignorance and force a smile: "Oliyan (Lou Shi's original name, childhood name), I don't even know how I'm going to die. How do you know? Did you hear the wrong message somewhere?"

"Reporting to the Emperor,"

Lou Shi stared into the other's eyes and continued in a loud but calm voice, "This subject is guessing."

Now, Wuqimai really didn't know what to say.

However, at this moment, a young nobleman in luxurious clothing, almost indistinguishable as Han or Jurchen, seemed to see the Emperor's embarrassment and simply stood up to reprimand: "Lou Shi, what kind of subject would speculate on the Emperor's death? For that alone, you deserve twenty strokes of the cane..."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was the current Emperor's fourth son, Wanyan Alubu, who was only in his twenties.

Alubu's words did indeed relieve the Emperor's awkward position... Wuqimai seemed to have received a great pardon. He immediately released Lou Shi's hands, rushed to his son in a few steps, grabbed the other's silk collar with one hand, and slapped him repeatedly, directly giving his son over a dozen slaps right there in the Shangshu Province hall of Yanjing.

Uh, here we must add that, theoretically, Alubu, who sought benevolence and obtained it, was not disgraced. Because according to Jurchen's glorious tradition, the former tribal leaders and the current Emperor had the power to slap others during meetings, just as others could drag the Emperor down and beat him with sticks... These were all standard, excellent traditions.

The Emperor being beaten with sticks was called unity between superiors and subordinates, enforcing the law like a mountain. And the Emperor slapping others also had its reasons, to maintain order and demonstrate authority.

In short, in any case, these slaps themselves had no intention of deliberately humiliating the person. In fact, they represented trust and affection to some extent. And Wuqimai was only using this action to change the subject... Wasn't Alubu himself eagerly volunteering to be the tool to alleviate the awkwardness?

But the problem was, what year was it now?

People like Alubu were simply born and raised in wealth and luxury, and had been influenced by Han culture since childhood. But unlike slightly older contemporaries like Wanyan Wushu, he didn't have extensive military experience... Wanyan Wushu joined the army in his teens and was among the last generation to participate in the Jurchen's rise to power. Those younger than him couldn't be called founding fathers.

And this was another important reason why the wars led by the Fourth Prince Wushu were constantly failing, yet he was getting closer and closer to the core of central power—even Wushu was now a qualified founding general.

In any case, back to the present, Alubu was slapped for no reason, filled with shame and indignation, but could only lower his head and sit down. However, only a few young nobles below Wanyan Wushu showed slight ridicule, while most of the powerful figures in the hall didn't care.

Everyone just wanted to hear what Lou Shi had to say.

"Oliyan (Lou Shi)," Nianhan, sitting in the seat of honor, spoke at the right moment when he saw this, "Although Alubu doesn't know etiquette, your words are indeed strange... The Emperor is in good health and there's nothing wrong with him. How did you guess he was going to die? There must be some evidence, right?"

"Not just the Emperor, I think the Marshal is also dying soon." Lou Shi saluted his superior sincerely.

Nianhan was stunned for a moment, smiled, but immediately put away his smile, and didn't say a word, directly reaching for the tea on the table in front of him.

That wasn't all. Lou Shi turned to his old friends Yinshuke and Wanyan Xiyin, his voice still loud and his tone still sincere: "Not just the Marshal, I also came to see you, Yinshuke, because you're probably dying soon too... But Right Vice-Commander (Wanyan Xiyin) is proficient in both civil and military affairs and has a good temperament, so maybe he'll live a long life."

Yinshuke and Wanyan Xiyin looked at each other, but didn't say a word... They were too familiar with Lou Shi and knew from the beginning that this man only talked about military matters. So they could listen to these words for what they were, but they didn't have to pay attention unless it was a military matter.

Of course, Lou Shi didn't mean to keep anyone in suspense. Seeing that he had the chance to speak freely, he turned to Wuqimai and continued sincerely:

"Emperor, I'm not talking nonsense... Think about it, last year, *Amban Bojilie* Xieye (Wanyan Xieye, the Emperor's younger brother) died of illness, and Jhamu, the garrison commander of Xijing (Datong), also died of illness. And I, in the past year, have also gradually felt unwell. Whenever it rains, my whole body aches unbearably, as if I'm being tortured. It looks like I won't live more than a year or two... So I presume to speculate that those of us who used to charge in front of the Taizu's (Wanyan Aguda) horse are now in our forties and fifties, and we're all gradually unable to hold on."

As soon as these words came out, Wuqimai stood beside his son, Nianhan drank his tea without moving, and several older founding ministers in the hall were also momentarily saddened... The whole hall was silent.

Because these people knew very well that Lou Shi was telling the absolute truth.

"It's more than just the two uncles," It was the Fourth Prince Wanyan Wushu, who had shaved his beard and looked much younger, who broke the silence first. His sitting posture was strange, but his words were sincere, attracting the attention of various people in the hall. "My second brother (Wanyan Olibu, commander of the Eastern Route Army) was only in his thirties when he suddenly died of illness. Another uncle, Osai, I remember he was the commander of the western front against Goryeo. General Lou Shi was just a soldier under him back then. He also died of illness in his thirties. And my eldest cousin Mulianghu, my father promised to make him Marshal, and he was the best to us brothers. Didn't he also die before he was forty? My eldest brother even married his wife and took care of her..."

One familiar name after another drifted by, and the many Jurchen nobles in the hall grew even sadder.

But what could they do?

As the first generation to start from scratch, what kind of suffering had they endured in their youth? What did they eat and what did they use? Who hadn't been hungry and frozen? How many visible and invisible injuries had they suffered in battle? It was common to die in their thirties or forties. Dying in their forties and fifties was probably a cause for celebration!

So in theory, death was just death!

It was just that wealth, glory, power, and profit were all before them, and life was no longer like it used to be, so everyone was unwilling.

Speaking of which, we must first sort out the internal turmoil in the Jin Dynasty last year.

First of all, we must be sure that the Jin Dynasty really had no intention of going south last year. It wasn't some kind of feint. Even the dispatch of troops this year was really just a separate action promoted by Wanyan Lou Shi alone. The Eastern Route Army wasn't even mobilized.

The reason was that the Jin Dynasty had internal and external troubles, and many problems occurred intensively within a year...

The most obvious one, of course, was the sudden illness and death of the Emperor's younger brother Wanyan Xieye, which led to the vacancy of the heir apparent, which in turn triggered a struggle for the heir apparent among the three major factions. There's no need to say more about this. It was a struggle for the foundation of the country.

While competing for the heir apparent, the Mongols also raised troops and declared war.

Also, Liu Yu's puppet Qi army suffered a major defeat in Jingdong.

Also, the *Meng'an Mouke* in the northern region also collectively petitioned in the autumn to expand their territorial authority.

An even more serious external threat was that Yelü Dashi had completely integrated the remnants of the Great Liao in the Western Regions this year.

This former Liao Dynasty general and *Khitan Jinshi*, who had been captured by Wanyan Lou Shi, relied on his two hundred remaining cavalry to roam the Western Regions, and in seven years, he managed to connect eighteen allied tribes, integrate the entire Western Regions, and raise the banner of the Great Liao again. Moreover, after last autumn, he began to gather troops on a large scale, looking like he was about to make a big move.

When the news came, even though there were Mongols or Western Xia in between, the words Khitan, Great Liao, and Yelü were still taboos that the Jurchen Great Jin Wanyan clan had to take seriously.

And as expected, due to an accident, the Khitan nobles of Xijing Datong suddenly rebelled in response to Yelü Dashi and the Mongol Khabul Khan.

Then, there was the incident of the loss of all the Xiaowusao ferries during the New Year...

One thing after another, the Jin Dynasty's central government was overwhelmed and decided to slow down its southward advance, which was reasonable.

However, returning to some fundamental problems behind the events, the gradual decline of the founding fathers that Lou Shi mentioned was an undeniable factor.

For example, wasn't the issue of the heir apparent, which led to the white-hot struggle between the three major factions, precisely because the Emperor's younger brother Xieye's health suddenly deteriorated, causing the inheritance order arranged by Wanyan Aguda to be completely invalidated, which in turn broke the balance of the three major factions?

Moreover, what caused the overall imbalance in the situation during the struggle for the throne was none other than the death of Aguda, Wuqimai, and Xieye's other brother, Jhamu, the garrison commander of Xijing Datong.

Wanyan Jhamu's sudden death was no less serious than the death of the Emperor's younger brother Xieye.

This man was Aguda's former supervisor in Nianhan's Western Route Army. He had made outstanding military achievements and was Lou Shi and Yinshuke's theoretical superior. He was the Left Supervisor of the Marshal when the Grand Commander's Office was first established, and he was one of the few close relatives in the Western Route Army who could effectively restrain Nianhan.

Later, Talan used a scheme to rise to power, and this man was removed from the position of Left Supervisor of the Marshal and became the garrison commander of Xijing Datong. However, he still sat in a capital city and enjoyed a very high political status. Then he still acted as a dagger, firmly propped up behind Nianhan.

Although Nianhan had already successfully consolidated and expanded his authority by playing Aguda's direct line against Wuqimai's line before Jhamu died, Jhamu's death allowed Nianhan to be completely uninhibited in politics and military affairs.

Wanyan Yinshuke's promotion from garrison commander of Taiyuan to garrison commander of Yanjing, and Wanyan Xiyin (Gushen)'s being ordered to enter Yanjing and declare political reforms, were all direct consequences of Jhamu's death.

That's not all. The Khitan rebellion in Xijing Datong was undoubtedly another direct consequence of Jhamu's death. Later, Lou Shi went to clean up the mess.

In addition, Jhamu had been supporting Wanyan Wuben, Aguda's eldest son, in the struggle for the throne. His existence and firm attitude kept one of the three major factions, Aguda's direct line, closely united. But when this imperial uncle suddenly died of illness, everyone in Yanjing knew that the Third Prince Wanyan Eliduo had his own thoughts about fighting for the throne.

Therefore, not to mention that this matter was controversial and like a farce, and not to mention that it concerned the fundamental issue of the Emperor's position, no one was willing to relax. Only to say that the successive deaths of Xieye and Jhamu had brought this fierce struggle to the present, and Nianhan was already in a state of complete victory!

But Lou Shi's sudden arrival today made everyone realize... The reason why things were so unbearable was not only because of the two major legacy problems since the founding of the country, that is, the inability to establish a reasonable law of imperial succession, plus the problem of the opposition of the three major factions, but behind it was also clearly a direct relationship with the large-scale renewal of the Jin Dynasty's senior leadership.

From the time Aguda effectively unified the Jurchens to the present, it hadn't even been twenty years, but because of the harsh living conditions in their youth, the founding veterans were indeed declining day by day, and the rise of newcomers was inevitable.

And at the turn of the old and the new, if it wasn't done well, it was feared that the foundation of the country would be shaken.

Of course, for the previous half-year, this almost farcical naked political struggle had already shaken the foundation of the country, but they might not be willing to admit it.

"Oliyan (Lou Shi) is thoughtful."

After being saddened, Wuqimai returned to holding Lou Shi's hand. "But although my body also has problems, it hasn't reached that point. On the contrary, it's you. Are you really failing?"

"If I was lying at home, I might have two or three years to live." Lou Shi's words were as calm as ever.

But most of the people around him forced a smile, because those who really understood Lou Shi knew that this man could not go home and enjoy his life. He would die in the military camp. And thinking of this, Yinshuke and Wanyan Xiyin, two comrades-in-arms familiar with Lou Shi, had already begun to tentatively exchange glances, and they vaguely guessed something.

"Is there something you need to explain?" Wuqimai pondered for a moment and asked solemnly. "Or is there something you want to ask for? Just say it..."

"That's right," Lou Shi answered seriously. "I have two children at home, Huonv and Mouyan are both incompetent, and now that I'm dying, I'm afraid they won't have a good end in the future..."

Wuqimai couldn't help but look back at Nianhan, who was silent behind him, but he was rarely excited - although this Jin Emperor knew very well that Lou Shi probably had a lot to say on this trip, no matter what the truth was, he would definitely bestow this favor over Nianhan's head.

Thinking of this, Wuqimai simply answered:

"Oliyan has worked hard and made great contributions, I have long wanted to grant you a *Miansi Jinpai* (golden plaque of immunity from death)."

"This subject thanks the Emperor for his great kindness, but neither of my two sons is someone who would commit crimes and cause trouble. The Emperor's golden plaque is good, but it's of little use." At this point, Lou Shi finally laughed. "And this subject doesn't hide it from the Emperor. What I'm worried about is that even if my two sons don't cause trouble, they will inevitably die and have their clan exterminated one day..."

After these words were spoken, the Jurchen nobles in the hall were uncomfortably awkward again... Because these words, no matter how you listened to them, sounded like sarcasm about the excessive infighting in the central government in the past six months.

"It won't happen." Wuqimai couldn't help but laugh dryly to cover it up, but he looked around. "Even if we all die, dare I ask, who among these young people in the hall today would touch Oliyan's sons? How can you say such things as death and clan extermination..."

"The Song people will! That Zhao Jiu of Cangzhou will!"

Just as Lou Shi was about to get to the point, Wanyan Wushu interrupted again, causing the former to stare intently at this young Fourth Prince for a moment.

But Wushu simply ignored Lou Shi. Instead, he got up and turned around, sweeping his gaze across the many Jurchen nobles in the hall, and then pointed to the sky with his finger and continued loudly:

"It's not just Oliyan's sons, your sons will also be killed by him! Your wives and your daughters will also be like those female relatives of the Zhao clan, and be robbed to Dongjing to be given to Song soldiers! Spending all day here fighting for power and profit, ignoring the major affairs of the country, I, taking advantage of General Lou Shi's visit today, ask you, when the Great Jin Kingdom is gone, why won't your descendants die and have their clan exterminated?!"

Seeing Wushu acting crazy and saying absurd things again, Emperor Wuqimai, Marshal Nianhan, Crown Prince Wuben, and Third Prince Eliduo, the only four people present who were qualified to restrain Wushu, almost all got up at the same time, ready to reprimand him!

Wuqimai even released Lou Shi and turned around, not knowing if he was going to slap Wushu again.

However, at this moment, Lou Shi suddenly spoke: "Let the Emperor, Marshal, and several Princes know... What the Fourth Prince said is exactly what Oliyan must say today. If we continue like this, the Great Jin Kingdom may not be a match for the Song people in the future."

Wuqimai had already taken three or five steps and froze on the spot. Nianhan, Wuben, and Eliduo, who had gotten up, were also stunned as if they had been immobilized. Even many of the surrounding dignitaries were momentarily lost... Because the same words, spoken by different people, were not the same thing at all.

In fact, even Wushu was a little confused.

After a long while, the first to make a sound was Wanyan Yinshuke. This newly appointed garrison commander of Yanjing couldn't help but shift his buttocks, exposing his unease... After all, if there was one person in the world whose military judgment Yinshuke could unconditionally believe, it could only be Wanyan Lou Shi standing in the hall.

Yinshuke was frightened, and everyone else was frightened too.

ps: Wanted to sleep, couldn't fall asleep... So I still coded and posted it.